Cooling



. Jan. 13, 1931. R. s. BLAIR 1,788,506

COOLING Filed May 14, 192

1 i E a INVENTOR Wish Patented Jan. 13, 1931 n ts-item TATES- PATEN Q'F I V ROBERT S...BL AIR, orsmivrroan; ooivivncrrc'ur COOLING ,Appli-catio'nfiled "May 14, 19584. Serial'No; 713,184.

This invention relate's to cooling. and. .With

regard to certain more specific featuresthereprovide a practical andeffective art ofcooling, .capablelof being convenientlycarried .on. Other objectswill be. in part obvious or. in: part pointed out herein-after;

The invention accordingly consists in the features of. construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and in the,

25 several steps and relation and order of each of the same to one or. more otthe othersall as will be illustratively describedhereimand the scope of the application of which Willbe indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawingin which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the mechanical features ofthis invention,

Figure 1 isa transverse section taken substantially along theline 11 of'Figure 2,

and

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Similar reference. characters refer to similar parts in both views of the drawing.

Referring novs to the drawing in detail, there is shown a chamber 10 adapted to serve as a cooling chamber containing material to be cooled, in this instance being shownas a cooling chamber for drinking Water. The bottom Wall of this cooling chamber 10 comprises a sheet-metal member 11 andthe side ii'alls thereof comprise a curved sheet-metal member 12 resting upontheibase .11 andsecuredthereto alongits inner edge, foreaainple by' soldering as indicated: at 13 to term a Water-tightconnection. These sheet- 2 metal plateslland 12 maybe of anyisuitable metal, copper .for example being advantageous, since 1t 1s-substantiallynoncorrosive *and hassuitable heat conducting properties. 1 I

As isseen in Figure l,the upstanding plate forming the side Walls I of the chamber 10 extends in a spiral coil about theclramber-lO anditerminates, for example, at a point 14:.

The inner end of this'coilis curved as indicated 'at15, for a purpose whichwill later appear, and is secured as bysolderingat lo, .rorm -ng Water-tight Walls for the coohng chamberlO. Coiled about thecooling chamherald conjointly with thepla-te member .12, IS a second and similarplat-e member 17 the coils of which-extend i'betvveen the adjacent coils'eoflthe plate 12 andin spaced relation thereto. The inner endsof .thepl-ate17 extends to a point 17a adjacent thecurved Avail 15 of th-e p late"12 and itsouter end extends to a point'i1-8 adjacent-theaouter end 1401f the coiled plate 12. i There arethus provided about the coolingchamber 10, by the two coiled plates i 12 and 17, i apair of parallel spiral passages 19land 2 0. These 'tWO' passages are connected at 15, at their inner ends so that theyform one continuouspassage extending substantially 'trom the points 14;

and 18 aboutiand inwardlyioivard the cool- 'lllQ chamber 10 and thence back again.

The passages 19 and 20 formed by the coiled plates-12 and 17 are closedatztheir upper ends'by an annular cover plate. 21

preferably re ncvablysecured by meansot 'screwsi22entermg lugs23uponthe plate 12.

Suitablepacking2la is preferably interposed beneath the coverhplatefll. The 'outerends of these passages 19 and 20areprovided With endwvalls 24 and 25 respectively. 7 Through the end. wall 24: 1 a passage 26. communicates with theap-assag-e 19, and through the end Wall 25 apassage 2? communicates with the. passage :20. -'l.he;passage:26- is adapted for an inlet passage for acool-ing medium, which enteringtherethrough traverses thepassages l9and 20, as indicated. by thearrow-s and dis chargesthrough the passage 27 serving as an outlet passage.

The cooling .medium preferably employed is: ai r which 1s; caused .to move through the passages 19,,a-nd 20', asabovedescribed, preferably byaneans:oiasuitable. suction in the discharge passage 27. For example, a fan 28 maybe employed, driven by an electric motor 28a.- The inlet passage 26 is preferably provided with a funnel-shaped mouth 29 and asui'table screen 30 positioned therein. V i

The coiled plates 12 and 17 rest upon the base plate 11, as has been described, and the outer coil ofthe plate 12 is secured thereto as indicated at 31 in Figure 2 to form a watertight connection therewith. In, thebottom portions of the spiral passages 19 and 20 is contained water 34 which may be introduced tl ereto through a suitable connection 32. iositioned within the incoming passage 19 is an absorptive material which may be of a suitable felt or fabric and which preferably takes the form of a sheet of the material spirally coiled and extending tnroughoutthe 'le ngth of the passage 19. This absorptive material extends into the water 34 in the bottom portions of the passage 19 and is thereby kept continually moist, the water working up thereinto by capillary action. The sheet-like member 33 standing upon its edge in the passage 19 is preferably spaced from both walls thereof, as shown,so that the incoming air traversing the passage 19 has access to both sides of the absorptive material. The sheet may be spaced from the walls of'the passage by any suitable means such as buttons 33a secured thereto.

The air traveling inwardly through the passage 19 evaporates the water from the sorptive material 33 and is thereby cooled. T his cooling action continues, gradually decreasing the temperature of the air until it reaches the innermost end of the passage 19. As will be seen from Figure 1, during thelatter part of this inward travel ofthe air its passage is closely adjacent to the cooling chamber 10 being separated therefrom only by the heat conducting wall 12, forming the side walls of the cooling chamber. The cooled air thus cools the drinking water within the cooling chamber 10. Thereupon the cooling air traverses the outgoingpassage which closely follows the incoming passage 19, being continually separated therefrom by only the sheet-metal heat conducting walls. The outwardly traveling cooled air within the passage 20 thus serves to cool the incoming air in the passage 19. The cooled air in its discharge is thus most eifectively employed to pre-cool the incomingair, adding its cool ing effect to that produced by the evaporation above described. The flow of air through the outgoing passage 20 is in the opposite direction to the how in the incoming passage 19, so that the cooling effect of the outgoing air is applied to the incoming air at its coolest point, thence gradually progressing to the warmest point adjacent the inlet passage 26. The entire cooling effect is thus most eii'iciently employed to bring-about a reduction in temperature of the incoming cooling air to cool the drinking water within the cooling chamber 10.

The cover plate 21 is preferablyextended inwardly over the cooling chamber 10 and may be provided, for example, with a funnelshaped mouth21b for supporting an inverted water bottle 35, the mouth of which extends therethrough into the cooling chamber 10. The entire device is preferably surrounded with a suitableprotective casing 36 of heat insulating material, the upper portion 36a of which may be removable with the cover plate 21. Accessmay be had to the screws 22 through holes 37, for example, in order to remove the cover for purposes of cleaning or repair. A pipe 38 and faucet 39 provide for the removal of the cooled drinking water from the cooling chamber. 10. i

The fan 28 acts to create=within the passages 19 and 20 a reduction'in pressure whereby the air is drawn therethrough. This is of particular advantage since evaporation takes place with increased facility in an atmosphere of reduced pressure. The discharge passage 2? beyond the fan opens into a chamber l0 from which exit is had through a passage atlyof restricted area to the exhaust opening 42. The casing forming the ohamberdO and narrowing to provide the restricted passage a1 provides a wall 43 subtantiaily in line with the discharge from the fan 28. The air drawn from the discharge passage impinges against the wall l3, the restricted outlet causesabuilding up of pressure within'the chamber d0 on thedischarge side of the fan and alarge amount of the water contained in the air from the fan is condensed and separated therefrom in the chamber 40. The water thus separated from the discharging air flows back along the sloping lower side of the chamber dO and back into the passage 20 to join the water 34: in the bottom portion thereof. Thus a large amount of the water which is evaporated for cooling purposes is returned to be used again by the absorbent member 33. As shown in Figure 2 the exhaust opening 42 is preferably directed downwardly and away from the inlet'opening 29. The inlet vopening connectedwith the passage 26 is preferably positioned above the discharge passage as shown in Figure 2. The air discharged from the opening 4-2 is somewhat cooled after leaving the apparatus and by its being thus discharged downwardly below the intake passage the discharged air does not find its way to the inlet passage and the same air is not repeatedly used.

In order that a supply of water 3a may be continually mai-ntainedin the bottom of the passages 19 and 20 without attention, this water supply may be replenished from the interior of the cooling chamber 10in this embodiment of the invention comprising a water cooler. As shown in Figure 2, the absorbent sheet 33 and the sheet-metal plate 1'? are cut away as at at to make room for an automatic valve mechanism. A float as rests upon the surface of the water 34: and'has pivoted thereto at 46 a bell-crank lever 47. This lever 47 is pivoted upon a lug L8 secured to the sheet-metal member 12 and carries a valve l9 coacting with an opening 50 through the plate 12 which forms the wall ofthec'ooling chamber 10. This valve 49 may be a rubber disk or of any other suitable construction.

It will be seen that as the level of the water 34 drops, the float 4E5 dropping therewith the valve 49 is opened to permit water toflow from the cooling chamber 10 and replenish the supply 34. Immediately upon the level of the water 3 1 rising to theextent shown in the drawing, the valve 49 is again closed. The water 34: is thus maintained at a substantially constant level without requiring attention.

From the above it will be seen that there are herein provided an art of cooling and an apparatus for carrying on the same which embody the features of this invention and attain the objects thereof, together with many practical and useful advantages.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features ofthe above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein 3 set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not-in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, means forming a chamber'to "be cooled, means forming apair of passages in substantially continuous heat-conductive relation one to the other, sald passages leading respectively toward and away from saidchamber and surrounding said chamberand being connected one with the otheradjacent said chamber, heat-insulating means about said conduits whereby the heat-absorptive capacity of the outgoing air is restrietedto absorption from the incoming air, and a vaporizable cooling agent accessible to air flowing inwardly through one of said passages adapted to be evaporated thereby and cool said air.

2.1n apparatus of the class .described, in combination, means forming a chamber adapted to contain a substance to be cooled, means forming a pair of passages in substantially continuous heat-conductive relation one to the other, said passages leading respectively toward and away from said chamber and being connected onewith the" other adjacent said chamber, means 'adapted to permit transmission of heat to the air within said first passage, and a source of moisture supply passages being so formed'that the air is discharged from one passage away from the current of air 'fiowing toward the inlet end of the otherpassage and at a lower'point.

3. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a cooling chamber adapted to contain a. substanceto be cooled, a pair of pass- 1 sages respectively leadingtoward and awayv from said cooling chamber in heat-conduct in'g relation with each other'andconnectedat their inner ends, means adapted to force a circulation of air through said passages, and a sourceof moisture supply accessible to air which has entered the inward passage, the respective outer ends of said passages being spaced one from theother and the outlet end of the discharge passage being substantially lower than the inlet end of the other passage.

4. In apparatus of the class described, in combination. a cooling-chamber, apassage leading to said chamber, means for inducing a flow of air throuahsaid passage to said chamber, means for cooling said air in its passage to said chamber to cool the latter, and a discharge passage forleading said flow of air away fromsaid chamber, said di charge passage discharging said airdcwn-= passages being connected one to the other at .tlieir'lnnerends, means adapted to adjacent the connected. ends of said passages to utilize the coollng effect of the fluid therein, means adapted to draw air seriallythrough said passages,- and a source of'inoisture supply accessible to incoming air andpositioned to be first engaged by said incomingair after it has traveled in heat-conducting relation to theoutgoingair 6.Inapparatus of-the class described, in

combination, a water cooleradaptedto supportan einverted water bottle and provided with a'cooling chamberin position to seal I with its water the downward mouth of said bottle, means forming a coolingpa'cket'about said chamber, a passage adapted to lead air toward said cooling jacket, means adapted to utilize .the air discharged from said jacket to absorb heat, means. adapted to cause a flow of air through said passage, a source of moisture supply accessible to said air and comprising an absorbent member, and automatically controlled means adapted to supply said absorbent member with water from said chamber. v

7. In apparatus of the'class' describedyin combi-natioma; cooling chamber, a passage, for cooling fluid to cool said chamber comprising an incoming passage and a discharge passage connected at their inner ends adjacent said chamber and extending throughout their lengths substantially parallel to each other in heat-conducting relation, suction means in said discharge passage adapted "to draw through said two passages a low or" air, and means adapted to cool by evaporation said air prior to entering said discharge passage.

8. in apparatus of the class described, in

combination, a source of moisture supply,

inner ends, means adapted to draw air serially through said passages, a source of moisture supply exposed to air flowing through said oassa 'es, means adapted to utilize the cooling eilect of evaporation of said moisiure, means adapted to separate moisture from the discharge end of the outgoing pa sage and return the same to said source of moisture supply, and heat-insulating means restricting the access of heat to the outgoing passage to that received from the incoming passage.

10. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, means forming a substar tially flat air-conducting passage, absorptive means positioned in said passage and spaced from its walls and exposed on all sides to a current 01"? air therethrough, a source of moisture supply in operative relation to said absorptive means, and means adapted to utilize the cooling effect of evaporation from said absorptive member.

11. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a cooling chamber, a heat-conducting jacket about saidchamber, a pair of parallel pas-sages spirally coiled about said chamber and each connected with said jacket at its inner end, means adapted to draw air serially throughsaid passages,'said passages being free from crossconnection and so positioned that the single current in each passage is embraced directly by serially spaced coils in the other, and a Vaporizable cooling agent exposed to the air flowing through said passages prior to its entry into the discharge passage.

12. In apparatus 01" the class described, in

a combination, a cooling chamber, a circulating passage for cooling fluid to cool saidchamber comprising a circuitous passage for leading said fluid to said chamber and a circuitous passage for leading said fluid away from said chamber, means adapted to force air through said passage in series, said two. passages extending substantially parallel and said fluid flowing therethrough in opposite directions in heat-concuciive relatiomand means adaptcd to effect temperature change in said fluid during its passage, whereby the fluid passing outwardly through said discharge passage gradually approaches atmospheric temperature by heat interchange with the contents of said inle' passage. j

13'. in aiparatus oi the class described, in combina a pair otparallel passages in heat-conducting relation one to the other and connected at their inner ends, means adapted to draw air through said-passages in series, a vaporizable cooling agent adapted to be engaged and evaporated by said air prior to its entry into the discharge passage, means Fifi adapted to utilize the cooling eiiectoit said air prior to its entry into said discharge passage, and heat-insulating means restricting L absorbed in said discharge passage to that taken from the contents or" the ingoing passage.

14.111 apparatus of the class described, in combination, means forming a chamber adapted to hold thesubstance to be cooled, means forming a pair oi parallel coiled passages in heat-conducting relation one to the other substantially throughout their length, means connecting said passages one with the other adjacent said chamber and adapted to lead air passing in series through said passages about saidchamber, means adapted to cause air to flow inwardly through one or" said passages and thence outwardly through the other; a vaporizable cooling agent positioned to be exposed to air flowing through said passages prior to its entry into the outward passage, and meanspreventing the absorption of heat from the outer airv into said outward passage while permitting the absorption of heat thereinto from the inward said passagesand thence outwardly through the other, a vaporizable cooling agent positioned to be exposed to air flowing through said passages prior to its entry into the outward passage, and means preventing the absorption of heat from the outer air into said outward passage while permitting the absorption of heat thereinto from the inward passage, said passages being of substantially flat form and spirally disposed about said cooling chambe I v 16. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, aspirally shaped sheet metal member, means forming a cooling chamber at the center of said spiral and jacketed thereby, a second sheet metal member coiled between the adjacent coils of said first sheet metal member and forming therewith a pair of parallel spiral passages adapted to lead cooling fluid toward and away from said chamber, said passages being connected one with the other adjacent said chamber, and

means adapted to cool the air during its travel through said passages.

passages leading to said chamber and connected at their inner ends, a moistened absorbent material 1n one of said passages, and means for forcing a flow of air through sald last passage to said chamber and out through said other passage.

18. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a base member, an upstanding spiral wall forming with said base member a cooling chamber substantially at the center 7 of said spiral, a second upstanding spiral wall extending between adjacent V coils of said first wall and forming therewith and with said base membera pair of spiral passages for leading cooling fluid toward and away from said chamber and connected one with another adjacent said chamber, a cover for said cooling chamber and said spiral passages, means adapted to cool the air during its travel through said passages,-.and heat-insulating means substantially encasing said passages and said chamber.

19. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a base member, an upstanding spiral wall forming with said base member a cooling chamber substantially at the center of said spiral, a second upstanding spiral wall extending between adjacent coils of said first wall and formingtherewithand with said base member a pair of spiral passages for leading cooling 'fluidtoward and away from said chamber, said walls being formed of heat-conducting material and saidpasthrough said passages, and means in-said passage leading to said chamber for cooling said air flow therethrough by evaporation.

' In testimony whereof, I havecsigned my name to this specification this 13th day of May, 1924; ROBERT S. BLAIR.

sages being free from cross-connection, 

